Life in Community Team Connects Vulnerable People to Resources During Pandemic

OAKLAND – At St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, the Life in Community team is working tirelessly to reach out to the area’s most vulnerable in their time of need.

The chaplains, mission specialists, Faith Community nurses, and community health workers collaborate with the local health department and other hospital programs to call people who are involuntarily isolated. This call list contains 1,700 people, with some in the hospital and some at home. These include former volunteers who can no longer come to the hospital, Senior Fit class attendees, cardiac rehab participants, patients and families of patients.

Referrals come daily for people in these circumstances. It is a remarkable telephone ministry offering spiritual care, emotional support, prayer, connection to resources and healing conversation.

These phone calls are making a real difference. Last week, a chaplain and mission colleague worked together to get an isolated community member the prescriptions he needed. The elderly person did not have transportation and was not confident taking the bus, given the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the team members were able to arrange for the prescription to be delivered.

Another weekly volunteer who is now isolated at home was running out of food. This volunteer usually eats at the hospital and relies on that for at least two daily meals. The Life in Community team arranged for food delivery for the volunteer.

The Life in Community team is working behind the scenes to continue to connect people to each other and the resources of daily life they need, including conversation, social connection, prayer, and love.